Collapsible table and shelves



Dec. 14, 1965 F. J. NOVAK 3,223,054

COLLAPSIBLE TABLE AND SHELVES Filed Feb. 18, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l ig. I

INVENTOR. Fl N v K Dec. 14, 1965 F. J. NOVAK 3,223,054

COLLAPSIBLE TABLE AND SHELVES Filed Feb. 18, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 III I ulll. C

INVENTOR.

United States Patent Ofitice 3,223,054 Patented Dec. 14, 1965 Filed Feb. 18, 1964, Ser. No. 345,664 '5 Claims. (Cl. 108-111) This invention relates to collapsible table and shelves, and is particularly useful for picnic and camping purposes.

The invention hereof is generally in the nature of a table unit which is particularly formed to engage with a camping stove or the like and be carried thereby, and support the stove separately or in conjunction with a picnic table or the like, suitable provisions being made for the support of the utensils and other equipment useful at the time of picnicking or camping and yet arranged in such a compact manner as to be easily carried with the camp stove or the like.

With the foregoing in mind, it is a particular object of this invention to provide what is in essence a support, which can be used as a table by itself or attached to a picnic table and thereby provide additional space, as well as relying upon the picnic table for support if desirable or in the alternative, if found necessary the unit can be used by itself and is self-supporting.

It is a particular object of this invention to provide a novel arrangement of parts, which will facilitate the compact folding thereof into a position such that the same may be carried easily and as such not require either much space or be cumbersome, to the extent that it would be unwieldy, on the other hand there being sufficient rigidity provided by the structure to adequately carry all of the various utensils and other items neces sary or particularly useful in picnic or camping excursi'ons.

The invention contemplates the provision of a main frame or body member, to which may be attached suitable legs, adapted to fold into close conjunction with the body member and a shelf member of similar configuration and size to the body member brought into juxtaposition thereto, and in turn provide support for the legs and other elements attached thereto in such a manner as to be substantially within the envelope of the frame and shelf whereby a compact arrangement of parts is provided for and yet adequate space and support are available for use as necessary.

in the drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing the table and shelves hereof in completely unfolded or expanded position, partially supported by and engaged with a picnic table or the like so as to avail of the rigidity thereof and eliminate certain parts.

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 but showing the table as self-supporting with the elements thereof indicated in their various positions for folding operation.

FIGURE 3 is a view of the various parts folded into compact position and lying substantially within the envelope of the main body member, and suggesting attachment to a means for carrying the same.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the manner of connecting the legs to the body and taken about on the line 44 of FIGURE 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, there is shown a main frame or body member generally designated 1, formed preferably of angle iron or the like, such that the angle iron which is L-shaped will in effect provide an upwardly open area within which may be received the camp stove such as is indicated in dotted lines and denoted 2.

Connection of the main body member 1 with the camp stove 2 which is shown in its folded condition may be effected by suitable thumb screws such as 3 extending through one of the flanges 4 of the body member 1.

Since the body member 1 as stated is generally upwardly open the stove 2 will fit therewithin and be retained in conjunction therewith, the stove usually being equipped with a handle indicated at 5 for carrying the same in its folded condition and thus the frame 1 attached thereto, if this in fact be the arrangement desired.

The member 1 is further provided with a pair of extension or wing members 6 and 7, these being formed so that they are equipped with a lip section 7a, referring to the wing 6, which is folded out of the metal of the body from which the wing 6 is formed in such a manner as to closely engage the upwardly extending portion 8 of the end of the member 1. As will be readily perceived, this will facilitate the removal from and emplacement on the flange or member 8 of the Wing 6, and likewise facilitate the positioning of the wing 6 so that it extends inwardly or toward the center, as is suggested in FIGURE 2. This positioning of the wing 6 so as to lie in the position of FIGURE 2 will necessitate the removal of the camp stove 2 but since this is readily accomplished by releasing the thumb screws 3, this will provide for the compactness desired herein.

The body member 1 is further equipped with a pair of clamp members 9, of identical configuration, including the thumb screws 10 therefore whereby the clamp member 9 may be brought into engagement with the end of a table such as 11 indicated in dotted lines in FIGURE 1.

The clamp members 9 are pivotally engaged at 12 with the upstanding member 13 of the body member 1 so that they may be moved into the position shown in FIGURE 2, generally within the envelope of the body member 1 for transporting purposes and to provide further for angular adjustment of the members 9 with respect to the body member 1 if necessary.

The body member 1 is provided at its front corners so to speak, as viewed in FIGURE 1, with suitable sockets 14, shown in enlarged view in FIGURE 4, which sockets 14 are adapted to receive tubular legs 16 there- Within, the legs 16 being of identical form and length, attachrnent of the legs 16 with the frame 1 being effected by means of the cable 17 attached at 18 to the flange 19 of the member 1, and at the lower end the cable 17 engaging with a spring 20, which spring 20 is in turn fastened to a part 21 fastened in the tube 16 comprising the leg.

It will thus be understood that by withdrawal of the leg 16 from the socket, the spring 20 will be extended, and yet connection maintained, the leg 16 thereafter being subject to movement into the position suggested by FIGURE 3, a folded position.

Each of the legs 16 is provided with a ferrule more particularly shown in FIGURE 3 and denoted at 22, which ferrule includes a lip or shoulder 23 thereon in case, the location of the ferrule 22 being any suitable distance from the upper or lower end of the leg, toprovide for the support of a shelf generally designated 25.

The shelf 25 will have openings 26 therein so that the shelf may be slid upwardly and downwardly along the legs 16 as viewed in FIGURE 1, or rest upon the shoulders 23 of the ferrules 22 when the shelf is in operative or supporting posit-ion.

The shelf at the rear, will be carried by cables such as 27 which depend from the rear portion of the body member 1, these cables of course being flexible and extending through openings 28 formed in the shelf 25 so that when the shelf 25 is raised upwardly the cables will merely extend through the openings, and since the cables are provided with stops 29 on; the lower ends thereof as suggested in FIGURE 3', provide in conjunction with the shoulders on the ferrules 22 adequate support for the shelf 25.

The legs 16 are equipped with suitable adjusting means 30 at their lower extremities, these being in the form of threaded parts with suitable members 31 at the ends thereof to engage the ground, this facilitating adjustment separately of the parts 30 so that unevenness may be compensated for if necessary.

Suitable folding shelf units may be provided for each leg 16, and are generally denoted 33, being substantially identical but of the opposite hand as will be appreciated, these members 33 being arranged and formed of angle irons in such a manner that a transverse member 34, is connected to an adjustable part 35, this part 35 surrounding the leg 16 and being equipped with a thumb screw such as 36 for maintaining the adjustment thereof. The part 35 will of course be connected to the member 34, the member 34 in turn having a frame part 35a [connected at 36a thereto, the part 35a being in turn engaged at its opposite end by means of a pivotal connection 37 with a further part 38 extending generally parallel to the part 34.

Suitable legs 39 and 40 are arranged to pivotally engage the part 35a and fold into position alongside the same, the part 38 having a leg 41 pivotally engaged therewith to fold into position alongside that part. A part 42 may be pivotally engaged at 43 with the part 34 and connected to the member 38 at its rear end, so as to be removable or disconnectible therefrom whereby all the parts may be folded into a position such as is suggested in FIGURE 3 and thereby lie alongside the leg to which it is respectively attached, that is to which the shelf unit of which it is apart is respectively attached.

Suitable clamp members as suggested in FIGURE 3 may be provided to maintain the thus folded members of the respective shelf units, these clamp parts being indi-, cated at 45, in position alongside the legs to which the respective shelf elements are attached to maintain the same in generally parallel and close condition for transport purposes.

The primary difference in FIGURE 2 from the FIG- URE 1 disclosure, resides in the provision in FIGURE 2 of an additional pair #of legs such as is indicated at 46, these legs extending into sockets such as the sockets 14, these sockets being denoted 47 and shown more partic ularly as to location in FIGURE 3. The legs 46 may thus of course be withdrawn from or emplaced in the sockets 47 as occasion may demand, and if so su-italfi'e openings such as 48 will be provided in the shelf 25 to receive such legs and thereby a self-supporting table and shelf unit is provided. The stove 2 is shown in this case as being spaced slightly above the main frame 1, so that it will suggest the manner of emplacing the same on the frame and removing the same therefrom as occasion may warrant.

The various arrows indicated on the figure, suggest the manner of folding of the legs into the positions whereby they lie alongside and underneath the main 4 frame when placed or manipulated as suggested by FIG- URE 3, the entire unit being connected to a stove-as suggested in that figure likewise for movement therewith or separately if desired.

I claim:

1. In collapsible table and shelf construction of the class described, in combination, a main body member, legs connected by resilient means to said body member, positioning parts on said body to receive said legs and maintain them in supporting position with respect to said body, and a shelf member movable along said legs from a position adjacent the body member to a position spaced therefrom, means on the legs to at least partially support said shelf member, said legs being foldable into positions closely adjacent the main body member upon withdrawal from the positioning parts, when the shelf member is in juxtaposition with said body member.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the legs are provided with support members intermediate their ends upon which the shelf member is adapted to be supported, positioning of said shelf member thereon effecting bracing of said legs.

3. The combination as claimed in claim 2, wherein the legs are adjustable as to length to adjust the height of the body member and facilitate folding said legs within the outline of said member.

4. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the positioning parts comprise sockets on the main body member to receive the ends of the legs, and the resilient means includes spring parts connected to the body member and extending within the legs.

5. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein a folding shelf unit is provided for at least one of said legs, said unit being engaged with the leg and adjustable therealong, said unit further being foldable into position whereby to lie substantially along said one of said legs when the leg is folded within the outline of said main body member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 293,894 2/1884 Loomis 10811l 510,282 12/1893 Moody 108-152 912,936 2/1909 Co wdrey 108l35 1,173,227 2/1916 Thornily 108152 1,264,228 4/1918 Uhl 108l53 1,549,146 8/1925 Miner 1081 11 1,956,483 4/ 1934 Alpers 2,97259 2,201,598 5/1940 Towler l08-135 2,249,845 7/ 1941 Mitchell 297-159 2,297,647 9/ 1942 Chason 108-69 2,533,831 12/1950 Molla 108-ll1 2,621,007 12/1952 Barbin 108153 2,710,781 6/1955 Haynes l08156 3,115,107 12/1963 Glenny 108-152 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,094,825 12/ 1955 France.

6,144 3/ 1898 Norway.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A COLLAPSIBLE TABLE AND SHELF CONSTRUCTION OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED, IN COMBINATION, A MAIN BODY MEMBER, LEGS CONNECTED BY SAID RESILIENT MEANS TO SAID BODY MEMBER, POSITIONING PARTS ON SAID BODY TO RECEIVE SAID LEGS AND MAINTAIN THEM IN SUPPORTING POSITION WITH RESPECT TO SAID BODY, AND A SHELF MEMBER MOVABLE ALONG SAID LEGS FROM A POSITION ADJACENT THE BODY MEMBER TO A POSITION SPACED THEREFROM, MEANS ON THE LEGS TO AT LEAST PARTIALLY SUPPORT SAID SHELF MEMBER, SAID LEGS BEING FOLDABLE INTO POSITIONS CLOSELY ADJACENT THE MAIN BODY MEMBER UPON WITHDRAWAL FROM THE POSITIONING PARTS, WHEN THE SHELF MEMBER IS IN JUXTAPOSITION WITH SAID BODY MEMBER. 